Picture rail and hook.



W. A. SMYRK.

PICTURE RAIL AND HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1916.

1,220,021. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

- 2 SHEETSSHEET l- W. A. SMYRK.

PICTURE RAIL AND HOOK. APPLICATION FILEDFEB. 23. 1916.

1,220,021. Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT ornron.

WILLIAM ADOLPHUS SMYRK, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PICTURE RAIL AND HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 23, 1916. Serial No. 79,991.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVInLIAM Anonrnus SMYRK, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of London, England,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and connected with Picture Rails and Hooks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in and connected with picture rails and hooks and has for its objectto provide an improved form of picture rail such as will be more hygienic than those hitherto in use.

Picture rails as ordinarily constructed, whatever their particular pattern, involve a ridge or groove adapted to receive and hold the picture hooks. This ridge or groove rapidly collects dust and the primary feature of my present invention is that I dispense with this ridge or groove altogether and provide a rail having a perfectly smooth top.

The invention therefore consists broadly of a picture rail having a smooth upper surface and provided with means for receiving and holding the picture hooks associated with its under side or edge instead of its upper side or edge. The invention also involves a special form of hook for use with such rails.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my invention Figure 1 being a perspective view of a portion of rail constructed in accordance with my invention and a hook in position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof.

Figs. 3 and 4 are side and front views respectively of a modified form of hook.

Fig. 5 illustrates the application of my invention to a shelf supporting rail, and

. Fig. 6 shows a method of forming rails from rectangular material and designed for cheapness of manufacture.

Fig. 7 showshow the molding of a plate rail can be employed to form one wall of the groove.

Fig. 8 shows a modified design of rail, and Fig. 9 shows a modified form of picture hook.

Referring to these drawings I form my rail with a smooth and preferably downwardly sloping and rounded top 1 and in the underside or edge 2 of the rail I cut a groove of suitable form. A convenient arrangement is to cut a plain or dovetail groove centrally of the edge as illustrated. The picture hook at is formed with a flange 5 at its endremote from the hook and in operation this flange is arranged in the groove 8 and becomes firmly wedged in position the weight of the picture tending to hold it firmly in place, as will be readily understood upon reference to the drawings.

Fig. 5 shows how the rail as a whole may be located beneath and form a support for a shelf 6. In Fig. 6 I have indicated a cheap method of forming beveled rails from rectangular material. In this case the grooves 3 are cut at each edge of therectangular material which is then out in the plane of the line 7 to form two lengths of rail similar in all respects.

In Fig. 7 the shelf 6 is provided with an ornamental molding 8 and the groove 3 is formed by the two members 8 and 9 as will be clearly understood from the drawings.

In Fig. 8 the rail is provided with a depending rear portion 10 for ornamental purposes, an

Fig. 9 shows a convenient form of picture hook formed with ridges 11 to take the picture cord.

It may be desirable in some cases to provide a rail upon which ordinary picture hooks can be suspended in the usual way but it is a vital feature of my invention that whatever means is adopted for accompanying the hooks it shall be located at the bottom instead of the top of the rail as a whole.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. As an article of manufacture, a molding having its lower side substantially horizontal when in operating position on the wall, and having an upwardly enlarging hook retaining groove in its lower side, the mouth of said groove opening on said horizontal side and the sides of said groove making a large angle with the horizontal whereby the collection of dust is prevented.

2. The combination with a molding having an upwardly enlarging hook retaining groove therein and a hook having a flange at right angles to its body, the length of said Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

of the molding and being of substantially of the molding and being of substantially the same length as the Width of the groove. the same length as the Width of the groove, 10 3. The combination with a molding havthe body of said hook resting against one ing an upwardly enlarging hook retaining side of said groove.

groove therein and a hook having a flange at In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ri 'ht angles to its body the length of said WILLIAM ADOLPHUS SMYRK.

flange being placed transverse to the groove flange being placed transverse to the groove Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

